Soldier Highlight: The Holland brothers

Dennis and Henry Holland were born in Adams County Pennsylvania to David and Mary (Shuyett) Holland. They came from a large family with five brothers (James, David, Dennis, Henry and Alexander) and two sisters (Mary and Sarah). 

When they were young their family moved from Adams County to a farm in Upper Tulpehocken Township. 

On February 27th 1864, when he was 20, Dennis Holland travelled to Reading and enlisted in the 32nd US Colored Regiment. From there he was sent to Camp William Penn near Philadelphia where he would be trained and the rest of the regiment would be organized. 

 From Philadelphia the regiment travelled to Hilton Head South Carolina and attached to the Department of the South. Here they participated in a number of movements and skirmishes.

Near Beach Creek, Statesburg South Carolina Dennis would be wounded and subsequently sent to the hospital in Charleston South Carolina. At some point he would leave the hospital and head home. He would be marked absent in September of 1865. 

On February 15th 1865, at 19, Henry Holland would sign up as a substitute for an Ezra Miller of Cumru Township. In other words Ezra Miller paid Henry to take his place as a draftee in the Civil War. 

Henry would join the 2nd Regiment US Colored Cavalry. He would head south where he and the rest of the regiment would serve at Petersburg until its fall in April of 1865. After which they would be sent to Texas and attached to the department of the Gulf. 

In October of 1865 as they were travelling from New Orleans to Brazos Santiago Texas Henry would desert from the ship and return home.

After the war (according to the 1880 census) Henry, Dennis and their brother Alexander would live and work together on a farm in Upper Bern. Dennis would be listed as a preacher the other two farm laborers.

In 1910 Henry would be living with Dennis and wife Lucy (Ary) Holland on a farm together in Tilden Township. 

The next year Dennis would die of Tuberculosis on May 14th 1911. His brother Henry would follow him in death on December 10th 1818 dying of kidney disease. 

As far as I can tell they are the only two Civil War Soldiers buried at Salem-Berne Methodist Church in Tilden Township Berks County. 

Their story fascinates me and I plan on digging deeper to see what else I can learn about the "Holland Boys" in rural Berks County Pennsylvania.